I thanked him and cashed his check. ...what do you all think?
Bill - Thank you for sharing your story, and yes, there are a lot of 'difficult' people out there in the world. It pays to learn how to sniff them out and avoid them. But, with all due respect, cashing the check was a mistake. Returning the check with a note saying simply, "It's my longstanding policy not to accept payment until the knife is delivered" might have saved some trouble. (*note that I said 'delivered', not 'ready for delivery'.)
Please don't hear this as criticism of you personally. I've made the same mistake in my business and probably everybody else has too, in one way or another. But your story perfectly illustrates the larger generic issue:
When anyone accepts money from someone else, then that someone else owns a piece of the one who accepted the money. The person who now owns a piece of you (meaning me, you or anyone in this position) may or may not be a reasonable human being. For that and a million other reasons it's best to go with the age old rule of thumb - the rule we all try and teach our kids and that our parents tried to teach us - one gets paid when the work is done, and not before.
Neither a borrower nor a lender be.
As to the issues surrounding verbal agreements and communications between maker and customer where no money has exchanged hands, this thread illustrates the wide variety of possible approaches and attitudes. To be clear, I am referring to the question of 'orders' and 'waiting lists.'
My personal stance is an outgrowth of my experience and beliefs. As such, what I do may not be what others choose to do. These are my rules:
- Never place orders or have my name put on a waiting list.
- Only buy completed pieces that can be examined in person (at a show, at a hammer-in, in the maker's shop etc.)
- Always buy directly from the maker.
There can be exceptions. I have nothing against purchasing from a dealer or another collector. But my preference is to deal personally with the maker.
I want to show the maker what kind of person I am and how much I respect them and admire their work. I never haggle or ask for a discount. If one is offered, I accept with sincere thanks and appreciation but I do not expect discounts in the future. That is up to the maker. If I can be the kind of customer a maker finds desirable, good things happen as a matter of course. Special pieces will sometimes come my way, or other opportunities. Doors will open. Again and again I have found this to be true. A man cannot stand before an empty fireplace and say, "Give me heat and I will give you wood." The rules I have set for myself prevent any tension from developing in our relationship. For me this has proved to be a very satisfying way to go.
Since this is not the first time I've posted my thoughts on such topics, I know some collectors will suggest that I must surely be missing out on a lot of great knives by limiting myself so strictly. And some makers will write me off as hopeless and not worth a smile or nod at a show. That's OK. It's a big world and there should be room for everybody. I take nothing away from anyone as regards their differing opinions on the matter.
Great thread and great discussion. I appreciate the opportunity to learn and participate.
